LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — While Rico Abreu controlled all 30 laps and cruised through traffic in Friday’s Driven2SaveLives Battle at the ‘Burg, the High Limit Racing drama behind him did not disappoint at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
Earning a front row start after an “Ace in the Hole” Heat Race (4th-1st), Abreu beat Aaron Reutzel to the early lead at Lawrenceburg Speedway and survived a pair of restarts due to Kyle Larson cautions (flat tire and multi-car accident) before the race changed drastically on Lap 21.
Behind the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Carquest Auto Parts No. 24, a torrid fight for the second spot was brewing between Reutzel and Tanner Thorson before it all came to a crashing halt in turn four.
Colliding in the heat of battle, the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 went flipping and the Rod Gross Motorsports No. 88 suffered significant damage, too, ending the race for both championship contenders.
From there, the theatrics shifted to Larson, who rallied from the 20th position after two trips to the tail to storm through the field and finish right behind Abreu.
The Silva Motorsports No. 57 pilot took the green on a single-file restart with nine laps left sitting in the 11th spot. He made his way to sixth with five-to-go and stood in fourth as the white flag waved, and then made his one last ditch effort to nab second in stunning fashion at the checkered.
Out front, however, it was all about St. Helena, California’s finest as Abreu made it back-to-back wins in the Driven2SaveLives Battle at the ‘Burg – also winning this race last September.
The win marked his second trip to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane this year – third score overall – and pushes his record to 27 career wins with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing,
Due to Thorson and Reutzel’s misfortune, the defending High Limit champion used his strong performance to assume the championship control for the first time this season – currently leading a four-car scrum separated by only 46-points.
Settling for second-place honors with his late-race comeback, Larson made it six-straight top-two performances at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana oval. It was a big shot of momentum for “Yung Money” as he returns to NASCAR duties in Nashville this weekend before a busy slate of sprint car starts with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.
Rounding out the podium at Lawrenceburg was Indiana’s own Parker Price-Miller, finishing third aboard Bernie & Betsy Stuebgen’s Indy Race Parts No. 71, marking the third-career High Limit podium for the Kokomo native.
Finishing fourth was Giovanni Scelzi aboard a special Driven2SaveLives No. 77 for Spire Motorsports, which officially tied him with Brad Sweet for the longest consecutive top-10 streak (17 races) in High Limit history.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[2]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson[3]; 3. 71-Parker Price Miller[4]; 4. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 5. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[8]; 6. 13-Tanner Holmes[7]; 7. 26-Justin Peck[9]; 8. 19-Brent Marks[12]; 9. 101-Kalib Henry[10]; 10. 42-Sye Lynch[15]; 11. 5-Brenham Crouch[13]; 12. 49X-Cale Thomas[20]; 13. 17GP-Hank Davis[11]; 14. 55-Kerry Madsen[19]; 15. 9-Daison Pursley[16]; 16. 88-Tanner Thorson[5]; 17. 45-Keith Sheffer Jr[17]; 18. 9R-Chase Randall[22]; 19. 24D-Danny Sams III[18]; 20. 38-Leyton Wagner[24]; 21. 20B-Cody Bova[23]; 22. 87-Aaron Reutzel[1]; 23. 14-Zane DeVault[14]; 24. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[21]
